Re: first dose of MTX

[Guest guest]

Pam

I know this will sound kind of goofy, but even if it is in " my head " and it

works ...that is OK. I think most of us started on MTX pills, so the next

day was usually a nightmare - like a hangover - kind of. I know that it took a

very long time for the MTX to help with the fatigue, and was too sick to

remember if it helped with the pain. When I started injections I also started

oral prednisone - 10 MG to help the Mtx along. I am now taking Enbrel and

weaning off of the prednisone - 2.5 mgs daily . I hope your next

injections

works just as good, if not better for you.

Gentle Hugs,

Carol M. in CA

[Guest guest]

Carol,

Thank you for your response. I am sorry to hear your day after the

first dose was like a hangover; that must have felt miserable. I

hope things are going better for you now and that you pain and

fatigue are under control.

My next day was fine, I felt better and I personally am truly

looking forward to this Tuesday in hopes of a repeat. I had none of

the side effects I have read about. I have noticed that I seem to

have a little more indigestion but that's ok, it's nothing I that a

couple of Tums couldn't cure. The swelling and pain in my hands were

markedly better. And I noticed less pain in other joints as well. I

can only pray for a repeat this Tuesday.

But I had pretty much made up my mind that the MTX was not going to

be any big deal. I have taken so many different things prescribed by

doctors in the past hoping to find an answer that I figured this was

not much different. I did my homework, I know what side effects to

look for so that I can report it to the doc if I need to but I am

simply not going to worry about it. I'm going to take it one day at

time and hope for the best. So far that's what I have gotten and I

can't tell you how grateful I am.

I am still hoping to hear from others about there own response to

the MTX in hopes that someone out there had a similar experience.

I also want to offer others some small hope by sharing my good

response to the medication.

> Pam

> I know this will sound kind of goofy, but even if it is in " my

head " and it

> works ...that is OK. I think most of us started on MTX pills, so

the next

> day was usually a nightmare - like a hangover - kind of. I know

that it took a

> very long time for the MTX to help with the fatigue, and was too

sick to

> remember if it helped with the pain. When I started injections I

also started

> oral prednisone - 10 MG to help the Mtx along. I am now taking

Enbrel and

> weaning off of the prednisone - 2.5 mgs daily . I hope your

next injections

> works just as good, if not better for you.

> Gentle Hugs,

> Carol M. in CA

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Pam,

WOW! that was quick. It probably is NOT all in your head.

I was told 6-8 weeks before I would see results, and started having

relief from pain after the 2nd dose and by 4th week, most pain was

gone and my sausage digits were well on the way to normal.

A positive mental attitude is always a plus, so keep that up.

Stay Well,

[Guest guest]

I started on MTX (7.5 mg) a couple months ago. Within 2 weeks I

felt much much better and was totally optimistic about how much

better I'd be feeling in the months ahead. Unfortunately, after

about a month, the initial " high " wore off and the aches set in

again. My Dr. increased my dose faster than planned but it doesn't

seem to be making a dent in the stiffness and pain. I am now 2

weeks into the maximum dose my Dr. will give me (20 mg.) and my

fingers are as stiff as ever and the pain in my feet/toes continues

to move around at will. I'm calling my Dr. today and anticipate

we'll be discussing my options as far as other meds. I'm not sure

of what my preference would be......Enbrel I guess.

This is just my experience.......everybody is different. I hope you

continue to feel better. Stay positive.....it's half the battle.

> I took my first dose of MTX last Tuesday and although I am told it

> takes up to 2 months to see improvement I felt much better for the

> next 2 days. About 70% of the pain was gone and the fatigue was

> greatly reduced. But over the last few days the pain has gradually

> increased to its original level.

>

> My question is: Is this the normal reaction to MTX? Will

consecutive

> does keep the pain at bay longer? Or was it just all in my head

> because I want so badly for the MTX to work?

>

> I really don't think it was all in my head though because I

> sincerely didn't expect it to have any effect right away. I

expected

> it to take a full two months to show improvement. But I would

really

> like to hear the experiences of others who have had good results

> using MTX.

[Guest guest]

Hi Pam,

I'm happy to hear that you're finding a good amount of relief using MTX.

I started on MTX about 5 months ago - my doc started me on a small dose

and added more over a number of weeks. As of 2 months ago I'm now up to

25mg/week. Three weeks ago one of my monthly lab results, one of the 3

liver tests, came back somewhat elevated. My doc ordered that I not

take last week's dose of MTX. I saw her this morning and she also

ordered a set of bloods drawn. If my liver test values fall back into

normal range then doc wants me to resume the MTX tomorrow evening, but

to cut back by 2.5mg, or one tablet. Due to the fact that I've been

taking over 20mg/week, my doc has always requested that I split the dose

- take half the tablets after dinner on Tuesdays, and the others on

Wednesday evenings. I hope the results come back ok, and I should know

that by sometime early afternoon tomorrow.

As you've reported being tired, I also found that I was extremely tired

in the day or two following taking MTX. Most days I found my eyelids

drooping at around 2pm and sitting in any chair at that time was an

invitation to an immediate nap. I happen to be early-retired so this

isn't that difficult but I can't imagine what I would have done had I

been working at my old job. I've noticed in the past few weeks that I'm

not as tired anymore - maybe my system is adapting to the meds.

The MTX has worked wonders for me - I'm no longer in any pain the way I

was for almost a year. I can sleep on either side with no pain in my

shoulders, and that would have been impossible even 3 months ago.

Getting up and sitting down in a chair is no longer the painful thing

it used to be, and I can now walk without use of a cane. Prior to using

MTX I needed someone here at home to help me get out of bed in the

mornings, and that's now a thing of the past. Incidentally, I also had

2 carpal tunnel surgeries on left and right hands/wrists last year - I

often wonder if I had been placed on MTX at that time whether I would

have needed the surgeries afterall. My rheumatologist is fairly certain

that the carpal tunnel syndrome I experienced was probably caused by the

arthritis.

In addition to the MTX I'm also taking 400mg of Celebrex a day - 200mg

in the mornings and 200mg evenings. My doctor has mentioned that she

might cut back on this medication if I'm responding well to the MTX.

While I know this list is primarily for those with PA, my rheumy

informed me this morning that she is more and more coming to the

conclusion that what I have is Rheumatoid arthritis and not PA. While I

do have a touch of psoriasis on my elbows my doc says that all my other

symptoms are now pointing to RA as the main culprit. One of the main

indicators is the fact that an RA blood test came back with a result of

60 - and normal is 14 or less. Oddly, I also have pronounced nodules

under the skin of both elbows and doc says this is definetely something

observed with RA and not PA. The one positive thing about all this is

that due to my doc's criteria I will now not require a liver biopsy when

I've reached an accumulated ingestion of 1500 mg of MTX.

My doc's criteria is based on actual diagnosis - persons with PA need

liver biopsies when they reach 1500mg of MTX, and those with RA do not.

Some people on this list say that their rheumatologists do not have such

critieria and there are some who say that it's an antiquated approach

but my doc is somewhat conservative in her approach to use of MTX.

At any rate, if RA and PA are treated much alike, and the only

difference is that I will not require a liver biopsy, I'm more than glad

to accept RA as the official diagnosis! For me the most important

things are staying out of pain, having good mobility, and the staving

off of ongoing joint degeneration over time.

I hope you go on with positive results and that your days get better as

you move along on MTX.

Regards,

Joan

Pamela wrote:

> Carol,

>

> Thank you for your response. I am sorry to hear your day after the

> first dose was like a hangover; that must have felt miserable. I

> hope things are going better for you now and that you pain and

> fatigue are under control.

>

> My next day was fine, I felt better and I personally am truly

> looking forward to this Tuesday in hopes of a repeat. I had none of

> the side effects I have read about. I have noticed that I seem to

> have a little more indigestion but that's ok, it's nothing I that a

> couple of Tums couldn't cure. The swelling and pain in my hands were

> markedly better. And I noticed less pain in other joints as well. I

> can only pray for a repeat this Tuesday.

>

> But I had pretty much made up my mind that the MTX was not going to

> be any big deal. I have taken so many different things prescribed by

> doctors in the past hoping to find an answer that I figured this was

> not much different. I did my homework, I know what side effects to

> look for so that I can report it to the doc if I need to but I am

> simply not going to worry about it. I'm going to take it one day at

> time and hope for the best. So far that's what I have gotten and I

> can't tell you how grateful I am.

>

> I am still hoping to hear from others about there own response to

> the MTX in hopes that someone out there had a similar experience.

>

> I also want to offer others some small hope by sharing my good

> response to the medication.

>

>

> > Pam

> > I know this will sound kind of goofy, but even if it is in " my

> head " and it

> > works ...that is OK. I think most of us started on MTX pills, so

> the next

> > day was usually a nightmare - like a hangover - kind of. I know

> that it took a

> > very long time for the MTX to help with the fatigue, and was too

> sick to

> > remember if it helped with the pain. When I started injections I

> also started

> > oral prednisone - 10 MG to help the Mtx along. I am now taking

> Enbrel and

> > weaning off of the prednisone - 2.5 mgs daily . I hope your

> next injections

> > works just as good, if not better for you.

> > Gentle Hugs,

> > Carol M. in CA